Landing in Holodrum (Pt 2 of the 3-World Trilogy)
by Kokiri7656
Summary: After dealing with the Moblin invasion in Termina, Link finds himself stuck in a new world and in the midst of trouble. Saria knows the situation is grim and it'll be up to the sages to help her bring Link back. But was Link MEANT to save this world?
1. The World of Holodrum

Author's Note: This is Part 2 of this special trilogy. It's inspired by the new GBC games. It follows the storylines (though it's intertwined with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), but it also contains a couple of side stories of my own that I hope will help make this series very special.

  


2nd Note: Like I said, this is Part 2, so it immediately follows the events of "Returning to Termina", so if you haven't read it, then it would help if you did so.

  


3rd Note: I'm sorry if I've been away these past few months. I can't begin to tell you all the hardships I've faced over that span and I'm honestly still not ready to write. BUT I've had this chapter finished for a while now and I want to indicate to my readers that I'm still around. However, there may not be an update for a while. But I promise, this trilogy WILL be finished eventually.

  


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Link still didn't know what happened. It wasn't that long ago when Link was in Ikana Castle facing off with the evil sorceress, Veran. It was Veran who brought an army of Moblins from Termina's past to help her take over and she did it using a jewel that helped her travel through time. Link destroyed her jewel and the Moblins went back to their original time.

Then Link found his way home in the form of a portal, apparently opened by his childhood friend, Saria. He made sure Malon went through first and she crossed the portal safely. Link tried to go through, but Veran tried to attack. When she threw a ball of energy at the portal, the portal went crazy and it sucked them both in…taking them to a still-unknown destination.

All Link knew was that Veran was taken in another direction while he went somewhere else. Then Link heard a voice call out for him.

"Link?"

Link couldn't place that familiar voice at first. He knew it was from his days past, but he couldn't recognize it. Then it suddenly hit him…when he saw a friendly yellow ball of light coming towards him.

"Tatl?"

It really WAS Tatl. He recognized the fairy from a long time ago. "Tatl? I'm over here!"

Tatl flew over to Link and immediately landed on his shoulder. "What's happening?"

Link didn't have time to answer…because he could see the end of the portal. He was finally arriving…at who-knows-where. But there was one thing for sure.

This world wasn't Hyrule…and it wasn't Termina. It was…a new place.

  


~--------------------~

  


Saria dried her tears again. She couldn't believe she did this. All she had to do was bring back her childhood friend. But the Forest Sage failed miserably and now Link was gone.

Saria still didn't understand how Link and Malon got into Termina. It didn't seem to matter anymore. While she did bring Malon back, Link was stuck somewhere else.

The Forest Sage looked around the empty chamber of the Forest Temple. There was only silence. Malon stood there in shock, knowing that Link wouldn't be coming back. But there was another small voice that cried out.

"SIS!!"

Saria and Malon looked around to see where that voice came from. Then Saria looked down to see a small ball of purple light. It was a fairy…and it wasn't her own.

"W-Where's my sister?" the fairy asked desperately.

Malon certainly didn't know what to think. "Y-Your sister?"

Saria remembered hearing the same voice call out for his sister earlier. But she also remembered another voice calling out…for Link. The green-haired girl began to wonder if that was his sister. Why would his sister call for Link, though?

The fairy spoke up again. "I saw my sister go through…that thing. What happened to her?"

It wasn't easy for Saria to go on. Again, she was being reminded of her failure. "If she went through the portal…then she's gone."

"Where?" the fairy pleaded.

"I-I don't know!" Saria shrieked. "I just don't know!"

Saria fell to her knees again. She wanted an answer, any lead to her friend's whereabouts. But it all seemed so…hopeless.

"Um…who are you?" Malon finally asked.

The fairy stuttered. "M-Me? My name's Tael."

Malon examined the purple fairy. "Tael. Why does that name sound so familiar? Uh…Tael, why did your sister rush into that portal?"

"She went looking for a friend," Tael answered. "His name is Link."

Saria turned her head. "Did you say Link?"

Malon thought about that. "A fairy named Tael…and a sister going in looking for Link. Tael, what's your sister's name?"

Tael immediately answered, "Her name's Tatl."

Malon gasped. "Tatl?"

"Wait…I've heard that name, too," Saria piped up. "Malon, you told me about her. Wasn't that…the fairy Link had while he was in Termina?"

"Wait!" Tael cut in. "Did you say Malon? Are YOU Malon?"

Saria suddenly realized that there were too many questions being asked at once. The three of them couldn't keep up. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. After this brief exchange, a circle of light appeared right beside Saria. She knew what this meant.

"What is that?" Tael asked.

Saria hung her head down. "I'm being called…into the Sacred Realm. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble for this." She turned back to face Malon. "Wish me luck."

Malon nodded. "Good luck."

Saria closed her eyes and walked into that circle of light that led to the Sacred Realm. It was time for her to face the old Sage of Light again. She could almost hear him yelling at her now. Saria cringed when she thought of what she was about to face.

  


~--------------------~

  


Finally, Link landed with a thud. He stayed down for a little while, trying to get used to being still after having floated for the last few minutes, which felt like an eternity. Then he lifted his head up. The first thing he noticed was a floating ball of yellow light. It was an old friend.

"Tatl? Is that you?"

Tatl rushed over and landed right on Link's forehead, seemingly giving him a hug. "I…I'm so glad to see you. Are you all right?"

Link just nodded. "I-I'm fine. What are you doing here? How'd you get here?"

Tatl slowly floated around. "Um…it's a long story. I…heard that something happened to you, so…I sort of went to investigate. I saw an open portal in the Forest Temple and…I jumped in without thinking when I heard your voice. What exactly DID happen, Link? Did you really get stuck in Termina again?"

"I did for a while," Link answered. "I saw that my friend, Saria, opened a portal for me, but I had Malon go in first. But when I went in, the portal went crazy and now…" Link paused. He suddenly became aware of a very serious dilemma.

Link observed his surroundings. It was an empty field…a peaceful field. But it didn't look anything like Hyrule Field or the Lost Woods. This place was…different…and uninhabited.

"Um…I don't think we're in Hyrule anymore," Tatl said dryly. "What is this place?"

Link was about to say something…when he heard music. It was a distant music, almost like singing. There WAS somebody out here. Link slowly walked towards the source, following his pointed ears, while Tatl followed behind him. A few minutes later, Link found the source of the music.

It was a cleared area, with a wagon in the middle. The wagon was surrounded by what looked to be a traveling troupe of actors and dancers. Link had seen several of these traveling troupes in Hyrule, but what was one doing here in this forest?

Link approached one of them, one of the bigger women. "Um…hello?"

The big woman chuckled. "You're awake. That's good. Din says she found you unconscious and she brought you over here. She was pretty worried about you."

"Um…"

"We're a traveling troupe. My name's Impa; I'm the troupe's cook. Feel free to stay a while. Dinner's almost ready."

That made Link's head spin. Another woman named Impa, but this clearly wasn't the Sage of Shadow, because this Impa was a lot…bigger. Her features were a lot chubbier and she looked to be…somewhat overweight. Link looked around to see the rest of the troupe. They were merrily going about their routine while Link and Tatl remained there, confused. Link was starting to feel out of place.

Another one of them saw Link and Tatl and smiled. She was a young Hylian girl, dancing in the middle of a tree stump. "You're awake!"

Link stood there, not knowing how to respond. "Um…hi." He figured this would be the best opportunity to find out where he was. "My name's Link. Uh…do you know where I am?"

The girl giggled. "I saw a red flash by the forest and I found you lying unconscious. You're a mysterious one for sure. And…you're in the land of in Holodrum."

Link jaw nearly dropped open. He sensed Tatl feeling the same shock. Indeed…this was a whole new world…one Link had never heard of.

Din smiled and walked up to Link. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, but you look tense, Link. Would you like to dance?"

"Um…I don't…"

"Don't be shy," Din giggled. "Come on! It'll be fun!"

Link didn't exactly feel like dancing at the moment. But he was hardly left an opportunity to refuse, for Din had pulled him into the crowd and they began to dance. Instantly, Link began to forget his troubles…for the moment. Of course, out of the corner of his pointed ear, he could hear the complaining of a certain cynical fairy.

"Great…I'm lost…probably never go home again…and he's dancing," Tatl mumbled to herself.

The dance went on for a while. In the midst of this dance, Link couldn't help but think of Malon and wonder how she might react to seeing Link dance with a perfect stranger. Frankly, the thought made him cringe.

"Hey, what's that on your hand?" Din suddenly asked.

Link looked at his left hand. She was referring to an old mark he'd always had. It was the symbol of the Triforce.

"You have the Triforce symbol," Din said. "That means…you're destined. A hero with a special fate."

Link shrugged. After everything he had gone through, he didn't need to be told he had a special destiny. He had already been through more adventures than he could count. And he was on another one right now. He was on an adventure…trying to find his way home. Of course, with the jovial mood…Link found himself dancing again.

But the momentary happiness didn't last…because the sky soon got dark. Link thought it was nightfall, but there was no howling of the Wolfos. This…felt different. Bolts of lightning suddenly began to strike down on the ground and the troupe began to scatter.

A booming voice called out from the sky. "DIN!!"

Tatl immediately rushed towards Link's shoulder. "What's that?!"

The voice called out again. "You thought you could hide from me, Din! But disguising yourself as a dancer shall not help you! You cannot hide from me for I am Onox, the General of Darkness! Now reveal yourself…Oracle of Seasons!"

"Oracle of what?" Tatl asked inquisitively.

Before any questions could be answered, a tornado came out of the sky. The tornado headed straight for Din. Troupe members were being blown away while the tornado made a beeline for Din.

"Help me, Link!" she pleaded.

Letting his heroic instincts take over, Link tried to rescue Din. He stood between her and the tornado. But the tornado was too powerful and kept him at bay. The tornado engulfed Din and the tremendous wind carried her away. Link was also being blown away…but in the opposite direction. The flight through the air felt like it went on forever.

Finally, Link landed…violently…knocking him unconscious.

  


~--------------------~

  


Saria was afraid to face the Light Sage again. She knew how bad her failure was and didn't want to even think about how Rauru would yell at her for it. But it was something she had to do. So after stepping into the light, the Forest Sage found herself in the Sacred Realm again.

Saria stood on her Forest Medallion platform and then she saw Rauru. He didn't look happy and that made Saria want to shrivel up and die.

Saria broke the eerie silence. "I'm sorry."

Rauru shook his head. "Do not fear, young Saria. All is not lost. The Hero of Time lives."

Saria's eyes suddenly filled with hope. "You mean I didn't kill him? I didn't throw him in a limbo? Is he all right?"

"You have merely sent the Hero of Time to another part of the world," Rauru answered. "You have sent him to the distant land of Holodrum."

Saria's face was brightening up with ever-present childish hope. "So…I didn't mess up! Link's just…far away…right?"

Rauru shook his head again. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple. I'm afraid you have sent Link…to the future."

"The future?" Saria repeated curiously. "Um…how far…into the future?"

"You've sent Link five hundred years into the future."

"FIVE HUNDRED?" Saria asked in shock. "How did I do that?"

"The worlds…have been out of balance," Rauru continued. "Ever since the Hero of Time was first thrown into Termina for the second time, I have felt an evil presence inhabiting not only that world…but others as well. That evil presence has gone on to throw the future out of balance…and threaten peace. This evil…has managed to manipulate time…and infiltrate Termina. However, when you stumbled onto Link…you also stumbled onto the evil one. The evil one tampered with the portal…sending them both into the future…where it is now in danger. Not only is evil set to overwhelm Holodrum…but it is also set to engulf other worlds as well."

Saria gulped. "Like Hyrule?"

"That is what I fear. I fear there are other worlds in danger and I sense that our Hero of Time…is destined to save them. I fear that if he does not…then a great evil will engulf all worlds…including Hyrule…and the future will be one of darkness."

Saria tried to reflect on all that. What evil was so great that could overcome all worlds of the future? Saria could only think of one and that was Ganondorf. But he would still be sealed…wouldn't he? It had to be something else. But what?

"So…will Link come back to us?" Saria asked sadly.

Rauru just looked Saria in the eye. "Although it is his destiny to save the future of the other worlds, Link is still a part of our present-day Hyrule. And it is still your job to bring him back, Saria."

"B-But what if I mess up even worse?" Saria asked nervously. "I don't think I can do this."

"Do not give up, Saria," Rauru said. "You were chosen as the Sage of the Forest for a reason. You CAN do this. You must believe in yourself."

"How will I know where to find him, though? I don't know what this Holodrum looks like. And what if I get to him too early…or too late?"

"I am confident you will know the answers," Rauru smiled. "And I trust you will not have to endure this trial alone." Rauru then motioned with his hand and another circle of light appeared right beside Saria. "Good luck, Forest Sage Saria. You CAN do this."

It was obvious that Saria had the confidence of the old Sage of Light. So why didn't she feel any better? Why was she so afraid? In her heart, she had a vague idea why. She didn't want to lose Link. He was her best friend. She couldn't stand the thought of him being lost forever…because of her.

But Rauru was right. If Link was going to come back…then it was up to Saria. She had to suck it up and prepare for what would undoubtedly be the greatest test of her life.

With that thought in mind, Saria stepped back into the portal.

  


~--------------------~

  


"Link, wake up!"

Link opened his eyes and was immediately overtaken by the surroundings. He was tossed in another part of the forest. He couldn't sleep through the pleas of Tatl, but when Link woke up, he soon started to remember everything. He remembered the tornado and the evil voice that abducted Din.

Link also woke up for another reason. He was freezing. He was surrounded by snow. "Tatl…where are we? What happened?"

It was someone else who answered. "Link! Are you all right?"

It was the troupe's cook, Impa. Link saw that she was tending to his cuts and bruises. "I'm all right…but what happened?"

"I guess I should explain," Impa began. "I'm not just a cook. I'm also…a nurse. A nurse for Hyrule's Princess Zelda."

Link moved back an inch. "Hyrule's Princess Zelda? Zelda knows you?!"

Impa nodded. "Indeed. I am her nurse. And…I must confess…Din is no dancer. She is actually…the Oracle of Seasons."

"That's what I don't understand," Tatl cut in. "What do you mean 'Oracle of Seasons'?"

"Din wields control over the forces of nature," Impa answered. "Zelda has mystical powers that hold a curtain of shadow drawing around Din. I was instructed to take her to Hyrule in secret."

That got Link's attention. "I'm looking for Hyrule! Could you take me there?"

Impa shook her head and pointed to an ugly wound on her leg, one Link hadn't noticed. "Zelda left me with those instructions, but I've been wounded…and I won't be able to travel for some time. Link, I don't understand why you were lying in the woods, but…you and Din were fated to meet."

"One big coincidence, I'll bet," Tatl said cynically.

"If the Triforce on your left hand is real," Impa continued, "then you may be the hero who will save the world."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Link said bravely.

"Please!" Impa pleaded. "Use your power to aid Din! Please take my message to the Maku Tree in Horon Village. The Maku Tree is the guardian of all Holodrum. Surely he can help."

Link's heroic spirit began to take over again. All he wanted when he woke up was to find a way home. He wanted to find Malon. But now…things were different. Link knew his new friend was in trouble and, if this big woman WAS sent by Zelda, then there had to be something he didn't know. There had to be a reason Zelda was going out of her way to protect this 'Oracle of Seasons'. And Link sensed that it was up to him to save her.

"Wait a minute, Link," Tatl suddenly said. "If this Impa was sent by Princess Zelda…then wouldn't she know you?"

Link thought about that. "Um…I don't know. You think she should?"

"Something doesn't feel right about this," Tatl said ominously. "Maybe we'll find our answers if we ever get to Hyrule."

That was probably the best way to go about this. Link decided to go out and explore this land of Holodrum. Maybe something out there would point him towards Din or Hyrule. But as Link began walking, Tatl made another observation.

"Hey, Link? Did Impa say 'Maku Tree'?"

"Um…yeah."

"What the heck is a 'Maku Tree' supposed to look like?"

Link stopped in his tracks. Tatl made a valid point. He had never seen a Maku Tree. He had always known the great Deku Tree from his childhood days back in Kokiri Forest. Link had never heard of the Maku Tree and that made him wonder about what Tatl said earlier. Something about this whole thing felt…wrong.

Link shrugged and kept walking, with Tatl flying alongside him. Something inside Link said that this was going to be a long adventure.

  


Author's Note: I hope I can do this successfully. Inserting Ocarina of Time's Link into the storyline of Oracle of Seasons won't be easy, but difficulty's never stopped me before. Plus, there will be a side story from Part 1 of my trilogy that I hope to have posted separately. Please read it whenever you're done.

  


2nd Note: Part 2 will be up in a few weeks. Please bear with me, readers. With personal problems, the tragedy in NYC, and the real possibility of war, times are tough for me right now. But I promise I will finish this story. It'll just take longer than I'd hoped.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	2. Seeking The Maku Tree

Author's Note: This is Part 2 of this special trilogy. It's inspired by the new GBC games. It follows the storylines (though it's intertwined with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), but it also contains a couple of side stories of my own that I hope will help make this series very special.

  


2nd Note: Here's hoping SOME of my readers are still around. -_-

  


Link continued that long walk into a small village. This wasn't Kakariko by any stretch of the imagination. This was a whole new place. It must have been Horon Village.

Link still felt a little dizzy from the collisions earlier. His head was still spinning and that's probably why he didn't notice something that should have been obvious to anyone.

"Um…Link?" Tatl began. "Wasn't it just snowing a minute ago?"

Link suddenly realized that his fairy friend was right. When he woke up earlier, he was buried in snow and the lakes were nothing more than sheets of ice. But as soon as Link walked into Horon Village…everything was dry…and sunny. Link had stumbled onto…spring.

"You don't think this has anything to do with our Oracle of Seasons, do you?" Link asked curiously.

"Oh, let's see," Tatl expressed sarcastically. "One minute it's winter, the next we're in spring. Yeah, I think this has something to do with the Oracle of Seasons, what's-her-name."

"Din."

"Whatever. So which way is this Maku Tree?"

"Hey, did somebody say they were looking for the Maku Tree?"

Link stopped when he heard that…familiar voice. He looked up on the roof of a nearby cottage and found…a trio of birds perched up there. But Link couldn't piece together where he had heard that voice.

"Um…yeah," Link finally said. "We're looking for the Maku Tree. Can you help us?"

"Of course we can help you," the lead bird said confidently. "After all, we ARE the Know-It-All birds!"

Link raised an eyebrow. He was starting to understand. "Know-It-All birds? Uh…what's your name?"

"My name's Dore," the bird answered. "These are my two brothers, Dila and Sofa. And you're in luck, my friend, because you just happened to stumble onto the smartest of the eight Know-It-All birds."

It was some coincidence. These three birds shared the names of the three Kokiri Know-It-All brothers back home. Not only that, though, but this bird had Dore's exact voice. Link would recognize it anywhere.

"Hey!"

Link turned his head to see the smallest of the three birds…trying to take a bite out of Tatl. Tatl promptly responded by smacking the bird across the beak.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Tatl snapped. "Do I look like dinner to you?"

"Sorry," the bird said. It had Sofa's voice, so it must have been the bird of the same name. "There haven't been any worms around and a bird's gotta eat, you know."

"You're birds," Tatl shot back. "If you want to eat, have someone regurgitate dinner for you!" She flew over to Link and let out an impatient groan. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Link finally remembered why he was there. "So…where can I find the Maku Tree?"

Dore pointed to his left. "The Maku Tree's that way. Just keeping going east and you can't miss it."

"Thanks."

"But…I don't think you'll be able to go in."

Link turned back. "Why not?"

"'Tis the way of the Maku Tree: Only those who demonstrate courage can go in."

Dila cut in. "Translation: You need a sword."

"I have a sword," Link pointed out. Unfortunately, when he reached for his sword…he found emptiness. Link couldn't understand it, but then it hit him. In the battle with Veran, the sorceress knocked Link's sword out of his hand. And he couldn't recover it before being sucked into the gateway. Link's sword was still in Termina and Link was unarmed.

"Now what?!" Tatl growled. "Where are we supposed to find a sword?!"

"Go down that way," Dila said, pointing west. "The Hero's Cave shouldn't be too far. And there, you can find a mighty sword."

"Hey, who's the smart one around here?" Dore snapped. He turned back to Link. "So once you have your sword, you can go in and see the Maku Tree. Good luck…uh…what's your name?"

"Link."

"Link? Whoa…just like that legend. Good luck, Link."

Link bade the birds farewell and made his way westward. But as he and Tatl were leaving, Link heard an interesting conversation starting up between the three brothers.

"Hey, he IS like the legend, isn't he?"

"Right down to the tunic! Hey, Dore…you don't think…?"

"Nah, couldn't be. That wouldn't be possible. At least I don't think so."

Link heard the birds last words, and couldn't help but think about them as he kept walking. He started to get the feeling Tatl had earlier. Something wasn't right…and there was something he didn't know.

* * *

Saria finally crossed into the other side. She was back in the Forest Temple and back in her friends' room where she tried to bring Link back. The room was still empty with two notable exceptions: Malon and the fairy called Tael.

"Saria, what happened?" Malon asked.

Saria took a deep breath. "I sent Link…into the future."

A gleam of hope came into Malon's eye. "So…he's alive?"

"As far as I know," Saria replied. "But I'll still have to get him back. And it won't be easy, but it looks like I have to do it on my own."

"Is there anything I can do?" Malon offered.

Saria thought about that. She could have asked Malon to keep an eye on the door to make sure she wasn't interrupted, but her friends, Somi, Mira, and Sodo were already doing that. Then Saria thought of something.

"You can answer one question for me," Saria began. "Why were you and Link in Termina in the first place?"

Malon frowned. "We didn't exactly mean to go there."

"But why were you two around there in the first place? How did you two reach the gateway?"

It seemed that Malon hardly knew the answers herself, but then she spoke up again. "Link brought me into the Lost Woods…blindfolded. He said he had a surprise for me. Then…I suddenly heard him screaming…and almost cursing. I took the blindfold off and found that something had been dug up. I think Link had something in there for me…but it was probably stolen."

Tael suddenly gulped. "Um…s-stolen?"

Malon nodded. "Yeah…stolen."

Saria went over and picked up a small box, containing the three masks Sofa found. "This box was brought to me earlier, but Sofa said he dug it up himself and that was after you and Link got stuck in Termina. Whatever Link was looking for, it had to have been stolen earlier."

Tael slowly flew towards the farm girl. "Um…what was your name again?"

"Malon."

The timid Tael suddenly flew a few inches lower. "M-Malon? I…think…I know what you may be talking about."

"What do you mean?" Malon asked curiously.

"Well…my sister and our friend, the Skull Kid, were pretty bored one day and we went digging around the Lost Woods. The Skull Kid got lucky and he found something. It was a box with the inscription: To my beloved Malon…from Link. The Skull Kid and I never told my sister, because I thought she still felt something for Link and would want to leave the box behind. But I couldn't resist that opportunity. So…we took the box."

Saria saw the range of emotions that Malon was going through at that moment. Malon wasn't happy about this at all and Saria could empathize. This fairy and his Skull Kid friend had stolen from her…and Link.

"Why?" Malon asked a little more angrily. "That box didn't belong to you!"

"I-I know," Tael stammered. "Forgive us. We're recovering kleptomaniacs. But the road to recovery hasn't been an easy one. Besides, there's been no one to steal from anymore. The Kokiri have steered clear for years. We just had to take something. I'm sorry."

Malon hung her head down. "Link wanted to give something to me. But now it looks like I'll never know what it was. I don't even know if I'll see Link again."

"You'll see Link again," Saria said comfortingly. "Trust me. I can do this."

"You know…" Tael added. "You probably CAN see your box again."

Malon raised her head. "Really?"

"The Skull Kid probably still has it stashed away somewhere," Tael pointed out. "If you follow me out of here, I can take you to him. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to give it back."

That was the first good news that Malon probably heard since this whole thing started and Saria couldn't be happier for her. The poor farm girl had endured a lot.

Malon wanted to go, but she looked towards Saria anyway. "Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine," Saria giggled. "You just go and get your box back."

Malon seemingly didn't want to go. She looked like she wanted to see how everything would go. But Tael had a grip on her index finger and was leading her out the door.

"Come on, Malon. This won't take long…I think."

Malon and Tael left the room and that would seemingly leave Saria all the privacy she needed. She was ready to get to work on recovering her friend from the future. Of course, Saria didn't expect the sudden noise to come from outside.

"Malon? Is that you?"

"Where did you come from?"

"We didn't even see you come in?"

It was Saria's friends. They were obviously surprised that Malon was here, and that meant that this wasn't the best place for privacy. Then Saria got a bright idea. Maybe she could be in…a bigger room. The Forest Sage made her choice. She would change locations and go down to the old chamber where Link defeated the Phantom Ganondorf. There, she would easily have plenty of space to work with.

So the Forest Sage picked up and walked out, ready to persevere.

* * *

"Well…" Tatl chuckled nervously as they approached the home of the Maku Tree. "It could have been worse."

Link wasn't amused by any means. "Worse? I almost fell off into a bottomless pit, almost got killed by a large Keese, and was almost buried by a giant Gel. And for what?" He reached in and pulled out his… "A WOODEN sword!"

"Hey, wood's a lot stronger than it looks, you know," Tatl shot back. "You just have know how to master it…without breaking it."

Link still wasn't smiling. He didn't like risking his life for a sword he could have easily crafted himself. Nonetheless, though, he kept on going until he finally reached the Maku Tree's ground. Sure enough, as Dore said, there was a sign that said entrance would be granted to those with courage. Link took his new weapon and carved his way in.

Link stepped in and Tatl flew in right behind him. Then they found the Maku Tree. He wasn't enormous in size like the Deku Tree, but he was still a sight to behold. Link also noticed something else. From the huge bubble coming from the Maku Tree's nose, it was obvious that he was in the middle of a nap.

Tatl flew in front of Link and groaned. "Great! We go through all this trouble and this stupid tree's asleep!"

Of course, instant karma would always come back to bite anybody, even fairies. So it was no surprise that one of the bubbles coming from the Maku Tree's nose…came closer and closer to Tatl…until…

****POP****

Link almost cringed when he saw the snot bubble pop and spread all over Tatl. Tatl wasn't taking that very well.

"EW!!" Tatl retched. "I'm covered in…tree snot!" Link knew her well. She didn't take kindly to mucus. It was just like the day she and Link fought off the Wart in Great Bay Temple back when Link was a kid. Tatl wasn't reacting any better this time, either. She flew over towards the Maku Tree. "WAKE UP!!!"

The Maku Tree slowly opened his eyes. "Who IS that? Such a LOUD voice!"

"I am NOT loud!" Tatl snapped.

The Maku Tree spied Link. "You…who are you?"

"Uh…my name is Link. I was sent here because the Oracle of Seasons was taken."

"What?!" the Maku Tree gasped. "Din was taken while I slept?" Then the Maku Tree closed his eyes. "There's no sign of the Temple of Seasons, either. This is awful! Guarding the Oracle is my duty."

"So you were sleeping on the job?" Tatl muttered under her breath.

"What is to be done, Link?" the Maku Tree continued. "With the seasons in chaos, the land is robbed of the very essence of nature, draining all of my might! Can you save Din in my stead? It is all this Maku Tree has ever asked."

Link didn't hesitate. "I'll save her."

The Maku Tree closed his eyes again. "I sense evil on the Northern Peak, where the Temple of Seasons rested. Onox has cast a shadow on the Northern Peak. I think you will find him there. You'll need the eight Essences of Nature that lie sleeping in Holodrum. Gathering all eight is the only option. The essences possess the sacred power of nature, with which you can break the shadow barrier and save Din. I shall give you this Gnarled Key. Go to the giant root near the lake up north. The first essence should be there, but I'd expect some resistance. Be careful! I'll just…rest…until…no energy."

The Maku Tree fell into a deep sleep, just as a small key came down. Link picked it up and pocketed it. He learned a lot from that Maku Tree. Though Link didn't know the first thing about eight Essences of Nature, he knew he had to find them or else he would never reach Din. If Link didn't reach Din, then the seasons would remain in chaos. More than that, though, Link couldn't go back to Hyrule without Din. He had to get her first before he could go home.

Link was ready to go on and begin his next quest, but someone was missing. "Tatl?"

"Hold on, hold on," Tatl slurred. "Just got to dry myself off." Tatl was drying the snot off her body using a nearby fig leaf. As soon as she was dry, she flew back to Link. "So…what's the plan?"

"There's a giant lake up north," Link answered. "I guess we go there first."

Link started moving away and towards his new destination. It was time for him to begin another quest…another impromptu quest.

Tatl summed it up quite well. "Just like old times."

* * *

Rauru looked around the empty Chamber of the Sages. He saw nothing, heard only silence…and all he could think about was the latest turn in the Hero of Time's destiny. Though Saria was blaming herself for what happened, the old Sage of Light couldn't help but think that it was all meant to happen. Fate always worked in mysterious ways and this was no different.

However, it wasn't until Saria left that Rauru began to wonder if the Forest Sage…would need any help. So he made a call to one of the other sages. And sure enough…she arrived in short order.

Standing on the platform of her medallion was the Sage of Shadow, Impa. Rauru knew that she would be ready for anything and he knew she would be ready for this…special task.

"It's been a while, Rauru," Impa grinned. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We have a problem," Rauru explained. "What I thought would be an excellent way to test out the Forest Sage's prowess has deteriorated into a dire situation. While I have told young Saria that she needs to handle this on her own, I believe it has become painfully clear that we'll need the power of all six sages."

"What are we dealing with?" Impa asked.

"The Hero of Time and his maiden found themselves stuck in the land of Termina with no way to return to Hyrule. I had Saria attempt to bring them back, but it appears that fate has intervened and sent Link five hundred years into the future…to the land of Holodrum."

"That was the land that was just discovered," Impa observed. "I heard crews were sent to map out the area. You're saying Link was sent there?"

"The future of Holodrum…and Hyrule is in danger, I fear. I believe the Hero of Time was sent to save the future. However, there is currently no way to bring him back. Saria is currently trying to open a portal to that point of time, but there is always the danger of opening it too soon or too late."

"So you want me to help Saria?" Impa asked.

"There is still a piece of this puzzle that remains missing," Rauru sighed. "I have foreseen that there is another who can help us. However, until I can figure everything out, I need you to help Saria while the rest of the sages stand by."

Impa sighed. "I'll do whatever I can."

"Thank you, Impa. I shall contact you and Saria the moment I find out anything."

Rauru watched as another circle of light formed. Impa stepped into the light that was sure to lead into the Forest Temple. Rauru had a lot of confidence in the sages, but he had to wonder…what answer was he missing? Who was this other person he was sensing?

Hopefully he would find those answers…before it was too late.

* * *

"We've only been out here for a few hours and you're telling me we're already LOST?!"

Link was hearing the complaints for hours on end. He didn't know how to navigate the vast land of Holodrum and he quickly found himself lost in North Horon. But that's when Link caught a break. He found a small shack and decided to ask for directions.

The inside had a familiar scent. It was the aroma of cucco feed, something Link hadn't been around since he left Lon Lon Ranch. There were several cuccos inside the shack and they were running around like they had their heads cut off.

"Come on!" a woman pleaded. "Get in the pen!"

A familiar redhead shoved the cuccos into a small pen. She raised her head and saw Link standing at the door. Link knew she held a close resemblance to a very special someone.

"…Malon?"

"I'm Malon," she said. "Do I know you?"

Link had been faced with this situation before. He was in a strange world with someone who looked like Malon. But in his heart, he knew it wasn't the same girl. This was someone else.

"No…you don't. I-I'm Link."

Malon smiled. "The name sounds familiar. I think my dad may have told me about someone named Link. I wonder where he is, anyway? He should be back by now. Anyway, can I help you?"

Link scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm…kinda lost. I'm looking for an old fortress. It looks like a pile of gnarled branches."

"You must mean THAT old place," Malon sighed. "It's out west. What do you need to go out there for?"

There was hesitation. Link didn't want to reveal anything. "Uh…no reason."

Malon crossed her arms, a familiar expression Link's Malon would have. "Well, if you're not doing anything, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"W-What's that?"

Malon walked over to a small cabinet and pulled out something Link hadn't seen in years. It was a weird-looking egg. She took the egg and handed it to Link.

"This is a rare cucco egg. I want you to carry it around for me."

"We can't be taking an egg around," Tatl growled. "We're busy."

"Then at least find someone to take care of it for me," Malon suggested. "I'm sure you'll meet someone on your way."

Link took the cucco egg and gingerly placed it with the rest of his limited inventory. The egg wouldn't crack in there and there would be plenty of time to incubate it. The trick would be to find someone to take care of it.

"I'll do that. Thank you, Malon."

Malon smiled again, warming Link's heart. "There's something familiar about you. I don't know what it is…but I feel like I should know you."

Link inched slowly towards the door. "I…should leave."

Malon picked up a sack of feed and walked over to the pen, but not before waving farewell. "Good luck…Link."

With the goodbye out of the way, Link left the small shack. However, he had to contemplate what he was feeling. This wasn't his Malon. But he did feel something for her. Though, it wasn't the same feeling he had for his beloved. It was something else…and he couldn't figure out what it was.

* * *

"So is this the place?"

Link walked up to what looked like a pile of gnarled branches. This looked like exactly what he was looking for. He took out his Gnarled Key and wondered where he could possibly place it.

"Hey, Link!" Tatl called out. "Have you tried this?"

The fairy was pointing at a keyhole among a pile of branches. Link shrugged. He figured there was nothing to lose, so he just placed the key in…and that resulted in an explosion. Link and Tatl gasped as the pile of gnarled branches was blown away…leaving an opening.

"I think that's our cue," Link said ominously. "Are you ready?"

Tatl gulped. "Don't have much of a choice. Besides, I can't let you go it alone. Let's go."

Tatl perched herself on Link's shoulder. Link was surprised at how much she was sitting there. She never used to do that when they ventured through Termina. Link started to wonder if she had changed.

"Well, what you waiting for?! An invitation?!"

Link shrugged. There was still some of that old Tatl left in the spunky fairy. Taking one more deep breath, Link walked into the dungeon…and wondered just what he was about to get himself into.

  


Author's Note: I hope to have the next chapter by next week. Cross your fingers!

  


Any comments? Mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	3. Dragons, Witches, and...Minstrels

Author's Note: This is Part 2 of this special trilogy. It's inspired by the new GBC games. It follows the storylines (though it's intertwined with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), but it also contains a couple of side stories of my own that I hope will help make this series very special.

  


2nd Author's Note: Regretfully, I've cancelled the rest of the side story? Why? Because it's simply too time consuming at the moment. Right now, my hands are full with THIS story and hopefully by taking it down, I'll be able to concentrate on this story a lot more. In fact, I hope I can update this more often now. Seriously! I mean it this time!!

  


A couple of hours passed. Indeed it was just like old times. Link had a hard time going through the trials of this latest dungeon. The darkness was almost overwhelming and the Gels liked to come out of nowhere. Then there were the Keeses that flew out of the corners of each room that nearly caught Link by surprise.

Things didn't get any easier. Link soon found himself facing off against two Moblins, and after what he went through in Termina earlier, he had had his fill of the blue swine. Nonetheless, Link defeated them and continued through the treacherous dungeon. Finally…he reached one last door.

"This is the only room we haven't been in," Tatl said. "What do you think is in here?"

"How bad could it possibly be?" Link pointed out.

Link opened the door…and gasped at the sight before him. The sight…was pretty bad.

* * *

Having changed her location to the room where Link defeated the Phantom Ganondorf five years ago, Saria should have been able to do this a lot easier. But things weren't getting any easier. In fact…Saria wasn't making much progress at all. While some of that might have been due to the noisy Kokiri upstairs, the Forest Sage realized that it wasn't all their fault. Saria was in over her head…and she needed help.

Saria sat down and wrapped her arms around her legs. She took a deep sigh and wished she had a clue as to what she was doing. It was hard enough to open a portal to another world, but opening a portal to another time made things even more difficult.

"Saria…you're not giving up already, are you?"

Saria gasped and turned around to see an unexpected surprise. "Impa!"

The Forest Sage rejoiced upon seeing her friend, the Shadow Sage. Saria ran up and gave her a big hug. After having to do everything solo, she was glad to have a little help…assuming Impa was here to help.

"Um…Impa…why are you here? Not that I'm unhappy, but…"

Impa chuckled. "Saria…everything is…just fine. I just came to help you. Finding our Link in the future won't be easy and is certainly a task that can't be done alone."

"Did Rauru send you?" Saria asked.

"You…might say that. Rauru is having prophecies. He's saying he sees another who might be able to help us. But while he figures everything out, it is up to us to try and find Link…at the right time."

Saria's head was spinning. "This mission is so complicated."

Impa couldn't deny that. "It does sound rather unusual…but I feel we'll pick everything up as we go along. So let us begin."

Saria smiled now that she had backup. Hopefully, things would get a lot easier…of course…that's when the interruptions began to take place once again.

"Uh…Saria, are you in here?"

Saria moaned softly when she heard Mido. She turned around and saw that familiar head sticking in through the door. "Mido…I came in here for some privacy. What do you want?"

"We heard a lot of noise coming from upstairs earlier," Mido said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Saria answered. "I just had a little setback." Then the Forest Sage smiled. "Mido…I'm actually glad you're here. Could you do me one more favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Go with Malon and the fairy and make sure they don't get lost on the way back."

Mido shook his head. "W-Why me? I almost got lost finding my way back last time. I can't lead anybody back here."

"You're admitting you can't lead?" Saria asked curiously.

Mido quickly backtracked. "N-No, that's not what I meant!"

"Then do me another favor and take Dore with you," Saria suggested. "You two have been getting along lately and maybe you two will fare better working together."

Mido scoffed. "That's what you think. You didn't see us out there earlier."

"I'm sure you two can do just fine," Saria went on. "Malon won't be able to find her way back here and I don't know about that fairy. You two are the best chance they have of finding the Forest Temple again. So just go!"

"Oh…all right," Mido groaned. "But I'm warning you, I won't be able to put up with Dore for the whole day, so he'd better know when to keep his mouth shut."

"I'm sure he will," Saria said dryly. "Thanks, Mido."

As soon as Mido walked out, Saria smiled. She felt pretty satisfied with herself, because once again she had taken out any possible interruptions.

"You're trying to keep them busy, aren't you?" Impa grinned, reading Saria's mind.

Saria giggled. "I know the rest of the Kokiri can keep things to a dull roar, especially with us down here. I just had to keep Mido busy and as long as I was sending him out, I might as well keep Dore occupied too." Saria sighed and faced one of the paintings. "Well…now that we have that out of the way…let's get started. But do you think we'll find him, Impa? In time, I mean?"

"I honestly don't know," Impa answered. "There seem to be so many variables in this mission…that I don't know what's going to happen next. I just know that we can't reach Link too early…or too late. And that won't be easy at all. But we're sages…we have to try."

Saria was afraid of hearing that. It was true that she was a sage and this was her duty. But what if she…failed?

* * *

"DUCK!!"

Link immediately rolled out of the way of a fireball. When he and Tatl went through that last door, they immediately met up with a huge dragon. It was enormous in size and had a horn on its forehead. And it had wings on its back. All that added up to a tremendously intimidating creature.

"What's that supposed to be?!" Tatl shouted.

Only one creature fit this description. Link realized that. "It looks like…an Aquamentus! I didn't think it was real!"

Aquamentus was a legendary dragon that Link once read about. He never thought he would actually encounter one of these fearsome creatures. But it looked like it was happening. It was time for Link to move into action.

Link stepped out into the open, while Tatl ducked under his hat. Aquamentus was set to move in. Instead of breathing fire, Aquamentus began to charge Link. Link moved out of the way of the dragon's charge. He realized a wooden sword wasn't going to do him much good, so he decided to try another plan of action.

When Aquamentus had its back turned, Link climbed up its back in the blink of an eye. Then he took out the sack of seeds he found earlier in the dungeon.

"Link! Are you sure?" Tatl panicked. "We don't even know what those do!"

Link was willing to take chances at this point. He took the whole pile of seeds and place on the dragon's head. Link jumped off and ran to the corner. Aquamentus tried slowly stalking towards the corner and was ready to breathe its fire at Link. But just as Aquamentus reared back…the seeds ignited and the dragon's head was on fire.

Aquamentus swung its head frantically, but there was no way to put out the fire. Link saw that this would be his best chance to put the beast away, so he took out his wooden sword. He made the only other move he could make. Link lunged with his wooden sword and stabbed the dragon right in the heart. Aquamentus fell to the ground…dead.

Tatl flew out from under Link's hat and saw the dead dragon, its head still burning up. "Whoa…those seeds are effective."

Link saw the results of his handiwork and couldn't help but agree. These 'ember seeds' would prove to be effective in the future. But for now, Link walked away…moving on towards the end of the dungeon. He went through the next door…and found what looked like a piece of a plant with light shining around it.

Link reached over and grabbed it…and was surrounded by a circle of light.

* * *

Malon looked back at the Forest Temple one more time. She wished she could help Saria, since they both wanted Link back more than anything. But Malon had something she had to do. She knew Link brought her out to the Lost Woods for a reason and that reason was a box that was stolen. A box that Malon was going to recover.

"The Skull Kid probably has it stashed away somewhere," the fairy, Tael, said. "I'll take you to him. Just…follow me."

"Wait!"

Malon and Tael stopped upon hearing that voice, the voice of a Kokiri boy. One of the Kokiri was coming to join them. Malon recognized him as Mido, and he was in a hurry to reach them before they left.

"Saria insisted I go with you," Mido panted. "She wanted me to help you find the way back just in case."

"Of course you couldn't lead a horse to water," another Kokiri voice said. He came out of the bush and stood right behind Mido, with an ever-present smirk. Malon recognized him as Dore, the eldest of the Know-It-All brothers.

"Who asked you?" Mido snapped.

"It's true, isn't it?" Dore smirked. "Why else would Saria want me to come along? Because she knows I won't get us lost."

"So why couldn't you lead us home last time?" Mido shot back with a smirk of his own.

"If you two are coming with us, then let's go!" Tael snapped. "I want to be able to get this done before my sister comes back………IF my sister comes back."

There was a tone of sadness in the fairy's voice and Malon could sympathize. She didn't know what she'd do if it turned out that Link wasn't coming back. But he had to come back…didn't he?

"So…which way are we going?" Mido asked.

Tael flew out towards the distance. "This way. I'm sure of it."

Malon let the two Kokiri boys walk in front of her, while she looked back one more time. The farm girl had all the confidence in the world in Saria. She had faith in her and she was sure that she could get the job done. If anything…the only question would be if Malon could come back before the inevitable.

Finally, she shrugged and followed her companions. This would be easy enough. All they had to do was get a box. How hard could that be?

* * *

After Link took the dungeon's treasure, he found himself outside again. Then he began to hear a voice.

"Link…this is the Maku Tree. You have successfully recovered the Fertile Soil, the first Essence of Nature. I can feel some of my power being restored. And I have also sensed the Temple of Seasons. I sense that it has been buried in an underground world. Link, you must find this underground world and enter the Temple of Seasons. There…you shall find the Rod of Seasons."

The telepathic feed faded, leaving Link and Tatl just a little confused. Not knowing what else to do…they headed east. Link slowly walked with his head facing the ground and his boots occasionally kicking up dirt.

"Rod of Seasons?" Link repeated. "What could that mean…?"

Tatl gasped. "INCOMING!!"

Link abruptly raised his head and found a witch on a broomstick heading right for him. She didn't have enough time to stop…and…

****CRASH****

…there was a collision. The witch fell off her broomstick and Link was knocked on his backside. They both sat up to see that their things had been scattered everywhere.

"Jeez, what's the matter with you?" the witch snapped. "Can't you watch where you're going?"

"Huh?!" Tatl shot back. "You're the one who crashed into us, lady! Have you ever thought of flying lessons?!"

The witch shook her head and faced Link. "Your fairy's got a big mouth, kid. Does she do all your talking for you?"

"I can speak for myself," Link replied as he picked up some of his things. "She's just a better speaker. And who are you supposed to be? A witch in training?"

"Um…sort of," she answered. "The name's Maple and I'm sort of new at this. I'm an apprentice for my grandmother and I haven't been riding for very long. I'm actually SUPPOSED to be training right now, but I ducked out for a few minutes. And if I spend anymore time talking to YOU, then I'm sure to get caught. So I won't waste my time with you, kid. See ya."

Something went off in Link's head, though. He suddenly remembered something he was keeping. This witch looked like she could help him. So Link decided to stop her.

"Hey, wait! Do you need…an egg?"

For Link, it was worth a try. He wanted to try and see if Maple wanted to keep the egg Malon gave him. So he reached into his bag and pulled out the weird egg.

"That's a weird coincidence, kid," Maple said. "I just happen to be looking for an egg like that. Syrup will like this. Let me have it, kid. I'll give you…this doll."

Maple pulled out a doll. It was a stuffed doll of a ghoulish purple light with a scary face designed on the front. It was like a small creature, unlike a Poe.

"What do you say, kid? This Gastly doll for the egg?"

Link nodded and handed the egg to Maple. Maple gave the Gastly doll to Link and got back on her broomstick.

"I'm sure someone will give you something good for that," Maple added. "But me…I have to get on my way."

Maple quickly got back on her broomstick and flew away, leaving Link and Tatl without so much as an apology.

"There are words for people for like her," Tatl muttered.

"Like 'witch'?" Link thought.

"Close," Tatl answered. "I'll just leave it at that. If anything good came out of this, it's that we get to keep some of her stuff."

"What do you mean?" Link asked curiously.

Tatl flew down and removed a leaf to reveal a ring. "Finders keepers."

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Link groaned. "You're still stealing!"

"Hey…old habits are hard to break," Tatl whined. "And what do YOU know? I've changed more than you know."

Link wasn't convinced. He thought that by now, Tatl would have changed her thieving ways. But maybe she wasn't to blame. Maybe a certain Skull Kid was the one to blame.

"Any ideas on where to go next?" Tatl asked. "We don't exactly see many underground worlds these days."

"Let's try the village," Link suggested. "Maybe someone there might know."

With the hope that someone would know something, Link and Tatl headed south towards Horon Village. This was sure to be a long quest and that didn't set too well with Link. Finding eight Essences of Nature seemed like a difficult task…only made harder by the fact that Link didn't know a single thing about this world of Holodrum.

* * *

Link never realized that Horon Village was such a big place. So far he had already been to the home of the Know-It-All birds and the ring appraisal shop. But none of those places knew where they could find the underground world.

Then Link stopped by another house by the shore. He could see plots of dirt outside the home, which led him to believe that this must have been a farmer's home. Link slowly knocked on the door, which was ajar, and found a couple. A man who clearly looked like a farmer, right down to the hat and hoe, and his wife, who was holding a baby.

"Um…hello?"

"Come in, young man," the farmer said. "It's not often we get visitors."

Link slowly stepped in and Tatl flew in right behind him. It was a quaint little cottage, almost like some of the homes Link was used to seeing by Zora's River.

"My name's Bipin and this is my wife, Blossom. I'm a farmer around Horon Village and that's how I've made my living. But lately, with the way the seasons have been going, the harvest hasn't been going too well. I wonder why the seasons are in such chaos."

Link took that opportunity to ask. "I've…been wondering that, too. And I've been thinking about finding the answers myself. But I've heard rumors about an underground world. Do…you know where I could find it?"

Bipin scratched his head. "You must mean Subrosia. No one's ever been in Subrosia before and no one knows how to get in there. But it DOES exist. There have been various sightings of Subrosians above ground. Of course, everyone just thinks the sightings are pure nonsense. I wish I could help you out, but I have no idea how any Hylian would get into Subrosia."

Link sighed. At least he was getting closer. Now his underground destination had a name: Subrosia. "Well…thanks anyway." Link started to make his way out, before he was stopped.

"Wait!" Blossom called out. "Maybe you could help us."

Link turned back. "You need help?"

"It's our newborn baby," Blossom explained. "It's been a week since he was born…but we still don't have a name for him. Could you help us?"

Link walked over and saw the sleeping baby wrapped in a sheet.

"Cute kid," Tatl said. "What should we name him?"

Link thought hard. There were so many names out there…and so many people he knew. He didn't know where to begin. Of course, with most of his friends being female, that helped narrow it down. Then it hit him.

"What about…Mido?"

Bipin wasn't so sure of that…but Blossom beamed. She seemed to love it. "Mido…that's a wonderful name! We'll call him Mido!"

Bipin scratched his head. "Rather unusual…"

"We love it!" Blossom squealed. "Thank you so much! Um…what's your name?"

"My name's Link."

Blossom closed her eyes and rocked her child. "Link…I'll remember that name. We owe you a lot, Link. And…so does Mido."

After those words and another brief farewell, Link left the small cottage thinking about how he had impacted the couple's lives. Bipin and Blossom almost reminded Link of Anju and Kafei…with the notable exception of a child. Link hadn't forgotten what Anju shared with him a few nights ago when this whole adventure started.

"Mido?" Tatl repeated. "You named the kid 'Mido'? After that obnoxious little twerp?"

That caught Link by surprise. "Have…you two ever met?"

Tatl groaned. "You might say that." She shrugged. "Any other ideas? We're pretty lost and I don't think we can ask anyone else for directions."

As soon as Tatl said that, though, Link began to hear…music. It sounded like a mandolin. Link looked by a tree…to see an old bald-headed man with dark sunglasses and a black wardrobe.

"A boy and his fairy seeking an underground temple?" the man asked. He then began to play his mandolin and sing. "The underworld of Subrosia…seek it is what they do…but they are lost in the fields and have nowhere to go…so now they look to Sokra!"

Tatl was her usual sarcastic self. "Oh, great. If there was ever one thing this quest was just **SCREAMING** for, it's a wandering minstrel."

"Not just a minstrel," Sokra declared proudly. "I am a wandering prophet and I know what goes on in this land of Holodrum. I have seen many sights and been many places…and I happen to know which way you should go."

Link's Hylian ears were burning. "You know how to get to Subrosia?"

Sokra started playing again. "To get to the temple just head to the east…give Sokra's advice a whirl…keep walking straight through the autumn fields…until you see a hooded girl."

"A hooded girl?" Link repeated. "Thanks…Sokra."

Sokra cleared his throat…and pushed a small jar forward. "I enjoy giving you advice, young man. But…wandering prophets…have to profit, too, you know."

Link sighed. The wandering prophet…was asking for a tip. Link took out a blue rupee and dropped it in the jar, leaving Sokra a happy minstrel. Then they continued eastward.

"So what do you think this hooded girl looks like?" Tatl asked, as they continued walking.

Link didn't know how to answer that, but he took a guess. "I think we'll know her when we see her."

  


Author's Note: Next update comes New Year's Day! Promise!

  


Any comments? Mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	4. The Trail To Subrosia

Author's Note: This is Part 2 of this special trilogy. It's inspired by the new GBC games. It follows the storylines (though it's intertwined with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), but it also contains a couple of side stories of my own that I hope will help make this series very special.

  


Link and Tatl ducked behind a bush. They had found their target. A hooded girl in a red cloak and a bow attached to her hood. An enigmatic little creature, she was, with no part of her body visible at all, leaving her true appearance shrouded in mystery. And it appeared that she was lost.

"So what's she supposed to be?" Tatl whispered.

"I guess she's a Subrosian," Link answered. "And I have a feeling she'll lead us to our underground world."

"So why are we hiding again?" Tatl asked.

"Because from the stories we've been hearing, I think it's safe to say that Subrosians are reclusive. And the last thing we want to do is scare our little friend off."

They managed to stay well-hidden. Link was experienced at this sort of thing. It was very similar to his experiences in Hyrule Castle when he was hiding from the guards. There was one major difference, though. This time, Link was dealing with a young girl. So it was safe to say that he wouldn't be caught.

The little girl looked around, anyway, to make sure she wasn't being followed. She was one of the more high-strung creatures that Link had ever seen. She was going out of her way to make sure she wasn't being followed and that forced Link and Tatl to be on the move constantly. Finally, the Subrosian girl moved on and Link and Tatl followed her from a distance.

Link and Tatl ducked behind another bush and waited for the Subrosian to reach her destination. They had managed to stay quiet so far…but that's when a little bird started flying around Link.

Link took his hat off and started swatting at the bird. "Shoo! Shoo! Get out of here!"

Tatl slapped Link across the face, which wasn't really painful coming from such a little fairy, but still hurt nonetheless. Link finally realized that he almost blew his cover, because the Subrosian girl stopped in her tracks and didn't move. She turned her head and tried to find any sign of followers, but Link and Tatl managed to stay silent long enough for the Subrosian to shrug it off and keep walking. But when she turned her head to keep walking…the little bow on her head flew off and the wind carried it away.

"Aw…not again!" she cried to herself. "I hate when that happens!" After wallowing in her loss, the Subrosian girl kept walking. Link was about to follow…until the bow fell into his lap. Link stalled for a moment before pocketing the bow.

Link and Tatl kept on walking until the Subrosian girl finally stopped at a seemingly dead end. She removed a big rock and revealed…a small portal on the ground. The girl looked around one more time to see that the coast was clear and then she stepped in. The Subrosian disappeared.

"Think that's our underground world?" Tatl asked.

"It's the best clue we have," Link sighed. He slowly stepped towards the little portal. "Looks…safe enough to me."

"Then let's go!" Tatl coaxed. She rushed into Link and he stepped forward into the portal…leading them away for Holodrum…and into another land.

* * *

Finally, there was a break. Rauru saw another prophecy that seemed to make a lot more sense now. And most importantly of all…Rauru now knew who he had to look for. The one person who would help the sages…and the Hero of Time. He found the missing link. Both Saria and Impa were occupied…so that meant Rauru would have to summon the rest of the sages.

Rauru then began to see three lights shining down on three of the medallion platforms. The rest of the sages were here.

Out of the Fire Medallion platform came the mighty Darunia, the Sage of Fire. He was leader of the Goron people and had a wild personality that made him truly fitting of the title 'Fire Sage'. He was one of the luckier of the sages as he had not been as active as the other sages in recent years. But likewise, he was also one of the busiest of the sages, because he had to lead and govern the Gorons from his domain in the Fire Temple.

From the Water Medallion platform came Princess Ruto, the Sage of Water. She wasn't the strongest of the sages, but she demonstrated a lot of courage when she infiltrated the Water Temple shortly after Zora's Domain froze over. It was that courage that helped define her as the Water Sage.

And from the Spirit Medallion platform came Nabooru, exalted leader of the Gerudo. While the Gerudo proved to be merciless thieves on many occasions, Nabooru proved to have a good heart when she was willing to stand up to the tyrannical Ganondorf. Add that to the fact that she was a fierce warrior, one of the best in Hyrule, and she was truly one of the mightier sages.

"I am happy to see you here, my friends," Rauru greeted. "These last few days have been very difficult and highly confusing, but now it seems that I have a solid direction on where to go."

"And I'm betting it has something to do with us?" Nabooru grinned.

"I have sensed the worlds of the future are in danger," Rauru continued. "And that is why I feel the Hero of Time was fated to find himself in the future Holodrum."

"What kind of danger is the future in, Rauru?" Ruto asked.

"There is a great evil loose in the future," Rauru answered. "An evil that I have not felt…since the first emergence of Ganondorf, but an evil that feels eerily similar. The worlds have been thrown out of balance because of the abduction of two oracles, an act committed by this great evil. The Hero of Time is destined to save these oracles. However, there is also another piece of the puzzle we are missing.

"And then I saw her in a prophecy. She is also an oracle and in my prophecy she told me that our answers would be found in the desert. Saria and Impa are currently working on trying to bring back the Hero of Time. So I need you three to find this other oracle in the desert."

Ruto frowned. "Desert. I hope I don't dry out."

"Not too many rocks out in the desert," Darunia added. "And it's really easy to get lost out there."

"What does she look like, Rauru?" Nabooru finally asked, ignoring her friends' complaints.

Rauru thought deeply, trying to see his prophecy again. "She…has a somber face with long dark green hair that flowed with the winds. She was dressed in green garments and she spoke very softly. She called herself…the Oracle of Secrets."

"We haven't even met her and she's already keeping secrets," Ruto remarked with a grin.

"She's out somewhere in the Desert Colossus," Rauru continued. "I have foreseen it. Find her, my friends. She may very well be the one with all the answers."

Nabooru looked out towards the center of the Chamber of Sages. "Just send us on our way, old boy. I'm sure we can handle a few days of the hot desert sun."

"Speak for yourself," Ruto muttered under her breath.

Taking one more deep breath, Rauru watched as each of the three sages stepped into the circle of light in the center of the Chamber of Sages…and disappeared towards their destination of the Desert Colossus.

"Good luck, my friends," Rauru said to no one in particular. "I only hope you can find her."

* * *

"Ok…NOW where are we?"

The first thing Link immediately noticed…was the immense heat. And then Link looked around and realized where he was. He was in a volcanic place full of lava, hellfire, and brimstone.

"Hey! Which way did she go?" Tatl asked.

Link noticed that they had lost the Subrosian girl. There was no sign of her anywhere. Maybe she would know which way to go, but Link wasn't sure of what to do. The heat was starting to get to him and maybe he could go find a place to cool off.

Instead, Link found no oases, but he did find other Subrosians, covered in green robes. They were doing various tasks, such as hauling buckets, tossing boomerangs, and lying in hot springs…of lava. With no sign of the Subrosian girl, Link decided to start asking around.

"Um…hello? Have any of you seen a big temple around here?"

The three Subrosians lying in the hot springs turned to Link and glared a hole into him. It looked like this should have been obvious.

"You mean that HUGE thing that fell into the middle of Subrosia?"

"Yeah, we've seen it. Of course, I doubt you can get in."

"Some of it's blocked off. But you can probably get in if you had a boomerang."

Tatl flew off Link's shoulder and floated above the hot springs. "Uh huh. And where can we find one of these boomerangs?"

The three Subrosians pointed southward. "Over there!"

They were pointing at a small little facility where Link could hear music. And it was loud music. It almost sounded like a dance club.

"It's the Subrosian Dance Hall," one of the Subrosians said. "If you can prove that you've got the moves, then you'll get one of our fine boomerangs."

Tatl sighed. "You can dance, right?"

Link nodded confidently. "Of course I can." Link tried a quick move, but unfortunately…tripped over his left foot and embarrassingly fell to the ground. "Well…that was just practice."

Tatl groaned. "This is going to be a LONG day."

Link ignored that and undauntedly got to his feet. That's when it was time to move on into the Subrosian Dance Hall. Honestly, how hard could it be to dance?

* * *

"Um…ok, I think it's this way…or…is it this way?"

Malon couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Tael, I thought you lived here. Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Uh…of course I do," Tael gulped nervously. "I think it's this way. Follow me!"

Tael started flying towards a tunnel to their right. Malon followed the little fairy along with her two Kokiri escorts following behind her. Before she went too far, though, she took a quick dose of an extra bottle of red potion from the Forest Temple. It was the best way to keep…IT from happening. Hylians who just wandered into the Lost Woods would come out a Stalfos…unless they take the necessary precautions beforehand.

"NOW do you see why we can't change the name of this forest?" Mido asked Dore. "It's called the LOST Woods for a reason."

"Ok, ok, I guess we'll have to find something else to complain about in our next meeting," Dore grinned.

Malon ignored the arguing Kokiri for the simple reason that she didn't want a headache. Instead, she just continued to follow Tael. Unfortunately, he stopped somewhere in the middle of four tunnels.

"Um…at least I KNEW where I was going for a minute," Tael stammered. "Maybe I don't know this place as well as I thought."

Malon looked back at the Kokiri. "Do you two know where we are?"

Mido shook his head. "Don't look at me. I was lucky to get out of here last time."

Dore nodded smugly. "That's our leader."

"Oh, shut up."

"Hey! Over here!"

Malon turned around to hear Tael calling out from a stream nearby. The farm girl and her two Kokiri companions walked over to see he was flying by a small log and a batch of vines. The stream seemed to lead down an unknown path.

"I think I found a shortcut!" Tael cried out triumphantly. "This should take us where we need to go."

"Why am I not assured?" Dore muttered cynically.

"It's worth a try," Malon said, trying to add a sense of confidence. "So we just go down this stream, Tael?"

"The Skull Kid, my sister, and I see this small river all the time. He's always either swimming for treasure or trying on one of his self-made shark costumes. This has to lead home! So…we can take this log and you can strap yourselves in with these vines."

Maybe Dore's cynicism was rubbing off on her, but Malon wasn't completely sure about this idea. She wasn't used to setting sail on a log, but there was plenty of room. Mido and Dore found a seat in the middle of the large log and their respective fairies hid inside their tunics. The two Kokiri weren't too big, so they held on to some of the vines that were wrapped around the huge piece of wood. Malon grabbed a long, stiff branch that she would be able to use to row and maintain a sense of direction.

"Just tell us which way to go, Tael."

"For now, just go straight. I'm sure it'll all come to me as we go along."

Not arguing with such logic, Malon sat on the log and started slowly rowing forward. As the log crawled forward, Malon looked out to see that there was no sign of the stream having an end, so she realized this would be a long trip. The day was just beginning and now the farm girl found herself in the midst of a log ride.

Definitely more exciting than a day at the ranch, that much was for sure.

* * *

It was amazing that the Temple of Seasons was left with hardly a scratch after taking such a tremendous fall. Link traveled towards the middle of Subrosia just after a brief stint at the Subrosian Dance Hall. After a few tries, Link finally had what he needed: a boomerang.

"Only took you about fifty tries, didn't it?" Tatl chuckled. "Hey, don't you get tired? You've been dancing for hours and yet you keep walking like you're full of energy."

"Can't take a break," Link sighed. "Too many people depending on me. I can't leave everything like this."

Tatl reflected on that statement. "Up to us. I still don't understand that. We don't even belong here. Yet we arrive in this place and there just HAPPENS to be trouble. It doesn't sound right to me."

As Link finally approached the immense temple, the reality of what his fairy companion was saying hit him. He DIDN'T belong here, yet once again he found himself playing hero. It's not that he wasn't used to it. But Link would much rather go home. Of course, he had to keep going. If what Impa said was true, then Link would save Din and take her to Zelda. And Zelda would give him the answers he needed. Though there was no denying that something felt wrong about this whole thing.

Then they entered the temple. There was a noticeable silence and emptiness that gave it an eerie feeling. Link continued walking until he reached the next chamber…where he found a small glowing podium. The podium held a rod about the length of Link's sword. Link reached the podium and picked up the rod.

Immediately, Link felt new sensations. He felt warm, hot, and cold all at once. He saw flowers blooming, trees withering, the sun rising, and snow falling all in a matter of seconds. Then…it all stopped…and Link realized what he held in his hands.

"The Rod of Seasons."

"So…what does it do?" Tatl asked.

"I…don't know…but I can feel…that's it really powerful."

"So…where do we go from here?"

At first, there was no answer.

"Well…I saw another entrance to the temple. Maybe we can explore in there for a while?"

"I don't see anything else we can do. I just hope it doesn't get dark…of course, it's not like we can tell in here anyway."

Having said that, Link and Tatl turned to leave the silent temple. But Link couldn't help but think of what he had in his hands. For a moment, he literally felt the power of the four seasons flowing through his body. There was something powerful about this rod.

He could sense that there was more to this rod than he knew.

* * *

"Hello?"

Silence.

"I don't think there's anybody here, either," Tatl whispered.

As he had planned earlier, Link ventured into the other entrance to the temple he found in one of the four towers. There was one difference between this chamber and the one where he found the Rod of Seasons. This place was frozen over, like Zora's Domain was so many years ago.

Link walked up each of the steps until he reached the top floor of the temple's chamber. All he could see in front of him now…was a shrine. Like the rest of the chambers Link saw since he came in, it was frozen over.

Link stepped up to the shrine…and was immediately met with a light…and a voice.

"It is you. You have come…just as was destined."

"Destined?" Tatl asked curiously. "As in we were MEANT to come here?"

"The boy in the tunic," the voice continued. "The one called Link. Indeed you are destined to wield the Rod of Seasons and save the Oracle. You will need help. You have the Rod of Seasons, yes?"

Link reached into his tunic and took out the strange rod. "This thing?"

"You hold the legendary Rod of Seasons, but currently it can do nothing. I shall help you, Link. I shall grant you the power of winter. Hold up the wand."

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Link slowly raised the powerful Rod of Seasons. Once the rod was up in the air, an unseen force came down and started to empower it. Link got that feeling again, only this time…it was much colder. Link felt an immense cold start to run through his body. When it all ended, Link fell to his knees.

"Are you all right?" Tatl gasped.

"Just…feel…cold…" Link said softly.

The voice spoke again. "Your discomfort is only temporary. The Rod of Seasons has been granted the power of winter. Please…use it to save Din."

The last words faded and the voice was gone…leaving Link alone with his fairy friend.

"That was so…unreal!" Tatl exclaimed.

Link didn't say anything. He just stood in awe of what just happened. He could have stayed there and remained caught up in the moment. But Link realized…he had a quest to finish. There was someone who needed his help; someone who needed rescuing. So…Link slowly turned back…and started to walk away…almost leaving behind his friend.

"Link! Wait for me! At least say something! It's too quiet in here!" 

* * *

Hours passed and the sun had set. Night had fallen and Link continued on his long journey. There was one thing Link noticed at that moment, though. Everything was quiet. There was nothing stirring. And Link saw why.

He peered over to his right shoulder and noticed a faint light. Tatl was sound asleep. It was late and the poor fairy was tuckered out. Link couldn't blame her. It had been days since he had a good night's sleep himself, but he couldn't stop to rest. He had to keep going. With the seasons in chaos, this strange world of Holodrum depended on him.

Link stopped and looked in front of him. He saw his next destination. It was the next dungeon where the second Essence of Nature was being held. Link had to move in…but he didn't want to wake his friend. Then he got an idea.

He decided to leave Tatl behind in a safe place and pick her up on the way out. As Link picked her up off his shoulder, he felt her body shivering. It was from the winter breeze that was blowing from Link using the Rod of Seasons for the first time. Link laid Tatl down by a bush and removed his hat. He covered Tatl with his hat to keep her warm before moving on. He realized she had been through a lot. The least she deserved was some time to sleep.

With his friend in a deep sleep, Link knew it was time for him to keep moving. He took out his sword and continued forward…into the dark dungeon…by himself.

* * *

"We're not getting very far, are we?" Saria asked.

She didn't want to admit that things weren't going well, but the Forest Sage had to face facts. It was almost impossible to open a portal with all the elements she needed. There was no way to time it just right. She had to time it so the portal opened at the time AFTER Link saved the future Holodrum. It felt like an impossible task, even WITH the help of the Shadow Sage, Impa.

"Unfortunately, I believe you're right," Impa sighed. "Maybe we need to clear our heads…or maybe we need to clear a little more."

"More?" Saria asked curiously. "What do you mean?"

Impa almost looked surprised. "You mean I've never taught you?"

"Taught me what?"

"I'm surprised I never taught you. We've been sages for years. Well, as you know, opening portals takes a tremendous amount of concentration. To achieve that level of concentration, we must clear our auras of any distractions. We have to meditate."

"But I meditate sometimes. Is there something I'm doing wrong?"

"Maybe you haven't reached that level of concentration, yet. I can help with that. I'll walk you through it. All we need is…to concentrate…and have an atmosphere…of silence. Are you ready?"

Saria nodded. This was an unexpected twist to say the least. One minute, she was trying to help Link. The next, she found herself about to receive lessons in meditation. It would be a unique experience as long as things stayed quiet.

One thing was for sure, Mido and Dore were gone, so she would get no interruptions. And things would stay quiet…wouldn't they?

* * *

Having faced the many perils of this treacherous dungeon, Link was ready to collapse any second. But finally he reached what was sure to be the final chamber.

"I've been everywhere," Link said to himself. "What else is left?"

Link didn't usually talk to himself during these kinds of moments. But with Tatl asleep outside the dungeon, that's what he did. He was on his own. And he would face whatever was in this next chamber…on his own.

So Link went in…and found himself facing…

****ROAR****

…a Dodongo.

Link took out his sword and noticed that this Dodongo was significantly bigger than the others he had faced. And from its enormous size, he could tell he was going to be in for a tough fight.

  


Any comments? Mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


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